Innocence Of Youth

I took this picture Saturday as I walked back to my apartment from the opening of "Art In October" here in the Arts District.  For those of you who don't recognize the site, it is the reflecting pool in front of the Winspear Opera House.  I love walking past this pool, no matter what time of day or night.  It always seems to have an inviting "come play in my serenity" feel to it.  Saturday someone had answered the call.  The person who answered was a child.

Last night was Cafe Momentum.  If you read my blog or know me you will hear much more about this wonderful program, if you don't I strongly encourage you to check out the website and see what it is all about.

http://www.cafemomentum.org/

As I worked with the wonderful young men who serve and run Cafe Momentum, my heart felt an overwhelming since of pride.  It took me back to the picture I had taken on Saturday and the innocence of the child running through the reflection pool.  Most of these young men have been told by a lot of people throughout their lives that they will not amount to much, the cards are stacked against them, and "face it you will become a statistic".  I like to look at it in a different way.  They jumped into the figurative "water" last night and worked in an environment that many culinary students could only dream of.  The kitchen we operated in was state of the art, the Chef, Abraham Salum, one of the best in the city of Dallas.  The mentors working with them in the kitchen, front of the house and back of the house, amazing years of culinary talent.  The experience priceless. 

Did these young men recognize all the benefits that they were being provided last night, probably some, probably not, but you know what they did recognize...Hard Work.  The men jumped in and served over 80 people to a five course meal that brought out big names from all over the Metroplex.  The guys did not ask, who is going to be here?  They didn't ask what are the credentials of this chef?  They didn't ask will this improve my resume (yes they do know what a resume is)?  All they did was work their rear ends off knowing that with the circumstances in their lives right now something good would have to come out of it, even if it just meant a few hours away from the dorm and a paycheck.  Innocence of Youth. 

Too many times we as adults (I am one as much as I hate to admit it) look at the end gain.  We focus on the bottom line and forget the journey, or the opportunity to be free and run through the water.  I guarantee when that child above took off running through the reflection pool she thought of one thing and one thing only, "this will be fun".  Last night as I worked with my awesome young men, I know they had a similar feeling, maybe not this will be fun, but this is a new and exciting experience. 



I'll close with this, as we rush about through the business and craziness of life lets not forget about why we are here.  Results are great, but they are only a fraction of the process.  Let us remember the majority of the process is unknown and if we keep an open mind and the "innocence of youth" there is no telling what we will learn and experience along the way.  Growth comes from the journey...not the result.


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